Please note that KAB Marketing is no longer operating as a consulting and presentations company. The Blog "What's Branding Got to Do with it?" will continue to be published on a regular basis.

SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY…BUILD A BRAND

Dec 27, 2025

https://youtu.be/-avONMmQtlI?si=onBB2vZyKFZxWynDKEN BANKS’BLOG  DECEMBER 2025

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SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY…BUILD A BRAND!

It was great to get away to Michigan to celebrate the holidays with family and friends.  One of nicest stops was a visit to the Michigan Central RR Station in Detroit.  After standing vacant and in disrepair for over 30 years, the station has been restored to its magnificent condition when it was the busiest in US. Thanks to Ford Motor Co., the restoration renewed this showplace and is must visit to the Motor City.  Our trip brought back many memories of the holidays and growing up in our first homes.  Those memories include many significant places around the country that have been restored and revived thanks to the foresight of local corporations and foundations. Traditions like the Macy’s Parade (and the former Hudson’s Santa Paraded in Detroit), the Biltmore House in Asheville, South Beach in Miami, the new Hudson River area in NYC, and many historic buildings around the country are thriving thanks to the support and investment of successful companies who also have brands that have resonated with customers for years.  This time of year always provides many reasons to remember the great family gatherings, celebrations with friends, and memorable shopping experiences at great retailers who not only branded themselves successfully but also supported the communities they served.

 

This time of year is also the time I make a trip to our local regional mall and the Macy’s store to pick up a traditional gift for Sandi and wander among the shops.  This year I was disappoint3ed in the number of vacant stores, the lack of the hustle and bustle of the crowds also doing their Christmas shopping.  I thought of my department store years when the holidays brought throngs of locals and visitors to experience the atmosphere in those stores and resulted in families lining up to get on escalators, visiting with Santa, and just soaking in the holiday decorations that we retailers worked very hard to provide.  I must admit that I have never missed working on the days after Thanksgiving (wasn’t Black back then), Christmas, and the weekends between the two holidays.  The rebirth of downtown areas and city centers in cities large and small over the past few years has recaptured the shopping and friendships that appear regularly in those predictable (yet heartwarming) Hallmark Christmas movies.  So let’s contunie to build our brands—not with another sale or promotion—but by building memories and happy times for our customers and fellow citizens.

My Favorite Holiday TV spots that you may have missed this year

SUBARU. Share the love. This auto brand has developed a great reputation with quality vehicles and marketing built on love and commitment to their customers.

https://youtu.be/H_Pj5pO6X_M?si=_OKCmjIur2ylfQop

Chevy going home. Every year America’s most traditional auto brand creates an epic short story commercial that tugs at our hearts and build the Chevy brand at the same tim

https://youtu.be/NB-DXIGGoqc?si=f111E3dH_z4D1yQT

Google lamb photos.  Google continues to grow it brand as part of today’s way of life.  With this spot, the company also reminds us of the the real meaning of the season.

https://youtu.be/b9qPMHpyZ5Q?si=0HPDhl0ktuuo90Sc

Apple   iPhone lost in woods animals singing.  Crazy but fun and effective,

https://youtu.be/-avONMmQtlI?si=onBB2vZyKFZxWynD

Amazon Christmas dinner .  Ditto on above.  Amazon has brought shopping convenience to a new height every year

https://youtu.be/2YcydTDSkLc?si=jx8HLOZGS2Uc6LX8

Meijer thanksgiving dinner shopping.  This Midwest food chain has been a pioneer in making food shopping an memorable experience and remembering why family gatherings are always special.

https://youtu.be/tr1vNbQK6iY?si=QdY0z7tfHV8FJAhT

Carhartt Christmas rink and trees.   Talk about memories.  I worked at Carhartt while in college when they were based in Detroit and sold nothing but durable work clothes. This is a brand that has recreated itself worldwide by adjusting to today’s lifestyles and trends. This really brings back memories of the holidays growing up in Detroit.

https://youtu.be/cK5zYVdAaxE?si=-thpvEWJ63lszob0

Hobby Lobby.  Cocoa stand winter.  The store replayed this spot again with a message that is memorable as all Hobby Lobby Christmas spots have been for year.  They stay true to the company’s brand strategy.

https://youtu.be/rSkXLgLmWYY?si=QAHJYHyLrO6LTlWv

Walmart.  I have been a big fan of Walmart marketing since its early years on the retail seen and its continual increases in market share.  This year’s campaign leaves me wondering however.  Now, I’ve never been a big fan of including Mr. Grinch in Christmas messages and decorations. Just seems anachronistic to me.  The “Who knew” campaign starring the green grouch just doesn’t work for me and judging by the smaller crowds at a recent trip to Walmart, it doesn’t work for others.(No link here for this campaign. Won’t waste your time)

Hope you all Have a Happy Holiday!

Thanks, Ken